


Sprouting Season

by averynicecake



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Lawyers, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Background Gaius/Lissa, Background Relationships, Chubby Stahl, Crushes, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Mention of Olivia/Chrom, chubby character, ghkdjdkasdj it's not all of these it's just their respective jobs lmao, it's not kink tho dw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-03-30 01:09:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13939329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/averynicecake/pseuds/averynicecake
Summary: Robin's a lawyer up to her neck in two people's work, in need of a boost and a friendly face. Stahl is a medical student who runs a coffee shop, with smiles in spades and an eagerness to please.You do the math; Robin's far too tired.





	1. Planting New Roots

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this like a year ago and then decided to re-write it because it was just an awful, straggly, weirdly kinky mess. Hopefully its, erm, /better/. Stahl/Robin is sorely lacking in this fandom.

For the past couple of weeks, Robin had been rushed off her feet working at the Ylisse & Co. law firm as head of the administrative personnel team; her boss, Chrom, had taken paternity leave to look after his newborn son, leaving Robin with at least four times the work to do. On a typical weekday, she'd work from around 10 in the morning until 6pm, when shops started closing and traffic was generally a little calmer than the rush hour jam, but without the head of the business holding her up she was often working twelve hours a day.

It was hell. She was in and out of her office every few minutes, carrying pounds upon pounds of paperwork to and fro, called out to meetings at absurd hours, and every time she got a spare moment, some inconvenient paralegal would come and dump a bundle of forms on her desk – each stack consisting of about a hundred and fifty separate sheets – all of which she was asked to sign. Robin was convinced she'd be able to write her signature in her sleep.

It wasn't that she hated the work, she loved her job more than anything in the world, it just got a little tedious when the only opportunity she had to complain was when she got home and talked to her cat, Morgan, who couldn't respond any more than grumbling out a 'meow'. In any other circumstance, she and Chrom would set up a Skype call after dinner to go through numbers and groan about how little pay they got considering how hard they worked. He'd still offered, even while he was on leave, but the first time Robin agreed, he was clearly too stressed and too busy to even think about work, so she passed on his offer. Mornings were difficult. Morgan would whine pitifully at her every day at 8am sharp, so she'd get up, feed him, and drag herself into the shower without fail, which was impressive considering how little she slept. However, it didn't matter how extreme the temperature of her quick morning splash was, she still craved something strong and sharp to cut the edge off her building fatigue – so she decided it was time she kicked away the herbal teas and bath salts and opted instead for a more on-the-nose approach. Coffee.

As luck would have it, there happened to be a cafe about two blocks down. It was a cosy little place with red brick walls and clumsily cut wooden furniture, and it smelled a little damp and lacked air conditioning, but her neighbour had spouted such rave reviews about the place that Robin felt it was worth a shot. She moseyed down on one of her Sundays off to see what the fuss was about.

The moment she entered, a pair of startled, chrome grey eyes looked up at her from crouched behind the counter. Before she could blink, the culprit stood bolt upright and looked directly into her eyes. He was a small man with tufts of hair the colour of marmalade falling across his cat-like eyes. His face was youthful and pointed, and between his pouting lips was a pastry, half-eaten, covering his sharp chin with crumbs and flakes. His hands were at his sides, poised so stiffly it was as if they were strapped to his body. He blinked harshly at Robin, his body in an entirely fixed position as the apple strudel in his mouth slowly dropped from his mouth onto the countertop. He still didn't seem to move.

“Hey, Gaius, can you check and see if we've got any vanilla syrup left in the pu-” Smoothly, a voice cut through the silence between Robin and the pastry-snacking barista, followed by the presence of a tall, scruffy-haired figure with his arms wrapped tight around a cardboard box of to-go cups. He noticed the presence of their new customer at once and quickly turned to put the box on the floor.

“Gods! I'm so sorry, I didn't hear the door open!” The flustered young man practically flew to her side, holding the door open as she fully entered the building and using his free arm to usher her inside. “Welcome to Shepherd's Roost, miss – er?”

“Hm? Oh, uh,” Robin stuttered, still wildly distracted by the redhead at the bar with his eyes tracing her every move. “Robin. My name's Robin.”

“Oh, wow, that's such a lovely name!” He spoke with a smile, and while she'd heard the line used by hundreds of sales assistants and businessmen before, it truly didn't sound rehearsed. “My name's Stahl. The pastry chef over there, that's Gaius. Sorry if he seemed a little shocked. We don't get too many customers on weekends.”

“No kidding,” Robin hummed to herself, eyeing the choice of empty seats.

“Can I get you anything? A drink, perhaps, or food?”

She paused for a second as she lowered herself into the couch seat in the very corner. Her waiter – Stahl, was it? - was looking at her with earnest interest. “What would you recommend?”

Stahl let out a surprised 'oh!' as she asked, bringing his thumb to tap against the rounded end of his chin. “Well, I'm fairly good at making mocha. Would you like to try some of that? And maybe you'd like a blueberry muffin to go with it?”

“That sounds wonderful, thank you,” she smiled, and the beam he gave in response made her heart flutter. He had a crooked grin, the type that always looked slightly youthful and off-balance, but that, when coupled with the slight crinkles at his eyes, gave the appearance of a college-age man with a good heart in his chest.

As he started to walk away, Robin stared after, trying to analyse the way his body moved and swung with each heavy stride he took. He had long, sturdy legs that curved out at the top into a soft swell of hips, thick shoulders that looked as if they could carry another grown man with ease, a tousled, olive brown bedhead that complimented perfectly the ochre green of his eyes, and a light dusting of freckles over his face and trailing down what was visible of his neck. The way he moved gave a gentle, blink-and-miss-it bounce to his rear, which was tightly packed into a pair of black jeans that seemed a lot more provocative than they should have been. As he reached to pull an apron over his head, Robin noted that it only just fastened at the back, the ropes pulled tight across the wool of his turtleneck sweater. It accentuated the curves across his midsection, leaving little to the imagination. She could see the indent of his bellybutton through the starchy fabric, a sudden dent in the soft swell of his tummy, the rolls at his side where the strings sat. Various buttons and handles decorated the coffee machine in front of him, clearly worn and stiff, but he pulled on the rusted levers with alarming strength and didn't bat an eyelid when he almost broke one off in his hand. He handled the cake shelves with familiarity, as if he'd made a note of memorising the places and flavours of each one. He took two muffins – both blueberry – and placed them on the same tray, along with Robin's mocha.

“Here you go, miss Robin,” he announced, scooping up the tray and carrying it somewhat haphazardly to her table. “A mocha and a blueberry muffin.”

“I don't mean to question your math, but I think that's two muffins,” she pointed out.

“Oh yeah, I hope you don't mind, but I was wondering if maybe we could talk? I like to get to know my customers. I haven't had my break yet today and I could really use a little sustenance. Gotta keep myself from dozing off.” He looked at her with raised shoulders, eyes seeking out a response.

“Be my guest.” Her tongue twisted inside her mouth as she reached for the coffee Stahl had set on the table. “How long has this place been here?” Robin asked, drumming her nails against the ceramic of her mug.

“Little over two months. Last owner was some kind of drug boss, had to leave on the run. Gaius and I have only been working here for five weeks, 'cause the managers didn't think they'd need much help. It turns out they had a hard time drumming up business, so they put up fliers around the nearby youth centres and colleges. We were walking back from lectures one day when we saw them, and Gods know we needed the cash for textbooks, so we thought we'd give it a shot.” He took a large bite of his blueberry muffin and grinned. “We were hired as soon as we walked in.”

Robin, being as evaluating as ever, began to eye every corner of his face, from the soft lines where his baby hair still sprouted to the dimple that imprinted on his chin when he chewed. “You're a college student?” She said, more of a statement than a question, as she dug her nail into the top of her muffin and scooped it out with her teeth.

“Ah, I'm not that young. Psychiatrist, seventh year. I'm twenty-six.” Stahl took another gargantuan bite and devoured it almost instantaneously. “I know it's rude to ask a lady's age, but I can't help but wonder. I can't place it; you have this... mystique about you.”

Robin smirked, bringing her drink to her lips. “Hazard a guess. I won't be upset if you're wrong.”

Stahl winced in defeat. “Oh, I can't!” He cried, but slumped at Robin's raised eyebrow as she took a sip of her coffee. “Well... you look young enough to be a college student, for sure. But you're too mature, too eloquent. It's like you know what you're doing and you're determined to get there. If I had to guess, I'd say... Twenty-six, same as me.”

Robin's eyes went wide, and her hands tightened around her mug. Her nose crinkled into the crease of her eyebrows. Stahl's face turned crimson. He clapped his hands over his mouth with extreme alarm, and his eyes drooped in immediate regret.

“Oh my Gods! I-I was way out, wasn't I? Oh, I'm so sorry – please don't be mad!”

From between tightly pursed lips, Robin let out a wave of laughter, echoing from the empty walls. Stahl's fear dissolved into puzzlement while her laughter ceased.

“You did nothing wrong, seriously. That wasn't a face of anger,” she exclaimed, a grin forming on her face, “that was a face of bliss! Bliss from such a beautiful blend of chocolate and coffee, topped with just the right amount of sweet, fresh cream, that it should be up in the heavens. This drink is assuredly _orgasmic_!” Robin realised with a sudden blush that her word choice was most likely not particularly appropriate to use with someone she'd just met. She stumbled over a quick apology, hiding her face behind the mug.

Stahl chuckled, a deep noise that resonated from the bottom of his lungs and buzzed from his body with a comfortable warmth. “Oh! I'm glad you like it.” His teeth tore another chunk of cake. “You didn't really answer my question, though. How old are you, mysterious Miss Robin?”

“Twenty-five,” she answered through a sip of her coffee, “but don't beat yourself up over the extra year. I didn't know what kind of place this would be, so I didn't put any makeup on, and I've probably got more bags under my eyes than an airport. Not to mention that I've only been eating instant meals for the past week. Probably not looking my best.”

“You can't live off instant meals! That's super unhealthy!”

“You're a student,” Robin snorted, “like you're any better.”

Stahl smiled sheepishly. “I suppose that's true. But hey, if you're ever lacking food, feel free to drop by here on weekends. I can cook decently, and Gaius makes mean desserts. I can't have you go undernourished when we've probably got enough stock to make you a three course meal.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I couldn't possibly impose myself that much. I've already talked myself over twice my welcome, and then some.” She pushed herself back with her heels and stood, gulping the dregs of her mocha. She picked up the muffin and held it out. “You want this? I'm not too hungry.”

Stahl followed suit and took it with an eager spark in his eyes, and started on demolishing it immediately. “Thanks,” he said through a mouthful. “Well, it's been lovely talking to you. I hope you come back soon!”

Robin felt her heart flutter a little at his smile; legitimate, sunny. She nodded. “I promise I will.”

“Oh, and before you go, I should probably let you know who works here and when. Just so you know who to speak to if you come in on a weekday.”

“I'll get by,” she excused herself, waving a hand while the other dug into her purse, firmly wedged in her jeans pocket. “How much do I owe you?”

“Hmm? Oh! It's on the house. First time customer gets a discount, and I kept you here long enough I figured I'd let it slide.”

Robin raised an eyebrow.“Well, good luck with that business strategy. But thank you for the excellent coffee and the charming chat. I hope to see you again.”

Stahl's hand snaked past her shoulder to push the door open. “Next weekend, maybe?”

“Next weekend,” she agreed, stepping out into the disorientating chill of the outside. She bowed a quick goodbye and began to walk away, chest filled with a warm satisfaction she could hardly wait to renew.

 


	2. Harvesting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin has a crush, Lissa has insatiable curiosity, and Gaius likes to stick his nose into everyone else's secrets.
> 
> (Edit: jhdkjashjd I didn't just finish this chapter halfway through, I just put in a lollipop emoji and it broke the whole HTML)

In the weeks that followed, Robin came to know the baristas well, even going as far as to figure out what hours they worked and where they studied; as it happened, they were all students, which made her feel positively ancient. On weekdays, hotheaded, athletic major Sully tapped the coffee. Elegant, flirtatious, French language student Virion ran kitchen duties on the same shift, much to Sully's annoyance. Robin felt a little proud that she'd managed to get so close to them, considering how little time she spent there during the week, and how much of that time she'd whittle down with a stack of files and tooth-mauled pens. Naturally, the weekend staff were more familiar and comfortable with her. Since her first encounter with the disarmingly adorable Stahl, she hadn't missed a single visit, and each one lasted an hour, give or take. The startled pastry thief, Gaius, had warmed up to her on her second trip, almost immediately acting like her best friend. Small and nimble, with fluffy red locks that draped over his forehead, and bangs pushed back by a headband, he had a deceptively youthful appearance. His voice was deep, seductive, and spilled flirtatious remarks at every appropriate – or inappropriate – opportunity. She'd discovered his career by recognising the pastel lollipop in his mouth one time, and he'd shamelessly admitted he stole it from the paediatrics ward, where he spent his days studying. He'd then dropped a line about 'knowing how to use his sugar rush', drawing his sweet across a lolling tongue, which prompted Robin's blushing and Stahl's scolding as he physically dragged his colleague back to the kitchen, where he was _supposed_ to be. Stahl was very different from Gaius. He had impeccable manners, constantly mussed hair, and good advice spilled from his tongue like water from a tap. He was a fairly average man, about eight inches on Robin's measly five foot three, but there was something about his kindhearted soul and the way he grinned whenever Robin came in that really captured her heart. It was fairly safe to say she had a crush.

It became apparent to her after she'd spent an afternoon shopping with her best friend, Lissa, in a complete daze. Stahl had abashedly told her how lovely her hair looked in a bun as opposed to her usual pigtails. Lissa probed her mercilessly about her dumbstruck smile. “Are you drunk? Did you get a promotion? Win a big law case?” She gasped, whirling to grab Robin by the shoulders. “It's not a _lover_ , is it? You haven't started dating someone without my express permission?”

“What? No,” she scoffed. Folding her arms, she tilted her head to one side. “Well. I'm not dating anyone, exactly.”

Lissa's face grew a mischievous beam. “You have a crush! Ooh, tell me, who are they? Boy? Girl? Tall? Gorgeous?”

“It's a guy. He, um, works at a coffee place near me. He's well-mannered, and cute, and smart, and, erm. Gods, I'm embarrassing myself.”

She elbowed the taller woman with gusto. “You have to take me to him! I want to meet this mystery man. Now. Come on, what's it called? I'll look it up.”

Robin reached an arm to lower Lissa's phone back into her pocket. “No. No, absolutely not. I've already been there today, they'll smell a rat if I go back.”

“Who cares! You can just tell them I wanted to try the coffee.”

“Nope.”

“Stop being such a huge baby and let me see this mystery man!” She pulled on Robin's arms with force. “Take me, else I'll ask my brother to take me, in the middle of his paternity leave, when he's all stressed out. You wouldn't want that, would you?”

She groaned. “No, I don't want you bothering Chrom.” With an exasperated sigh, Robin turned on her heels and got out her car keys. “Alright, you win. Let's go.”

Arriving at the cafe almost seemed like a blessing – the entire ride over, Lissa bombarded her with questions, like “what colour are his eyes?”, “what's his star sign?”, and even “how long does he look like he'd last in bed?” Each curious remark resulted in Robin's cheeks glowing brighter and brighter red, and she almost invariably answered with an “I don't know”. In truth, she did – his eyes were the same beautiful olive as his hair, he was a Gemini, and she would put money on his surprising stamina – but if Lissa got her way once, she wouldn't stop until she'd run out of questions.

Her hand hit the door, clipping a small bell as it swung open. Stahl looked up from the counter, hands twisted around a piping bag full of chocolate frosting, hovering hesitantly above a muffin. “Oh, Robin, you're back! Did you nee- bahh!” His fingers had gripped all too tightly in his distraction, spurting icing all over his apron. “Ahh, I've messed it up again. I should probably stick to what I'm good at, so can I get either of you a drink?”

Lissa squinted at the chalkboard menu behind Stahl's head. “Do you do frappuccinos?”

“Mhm. Banana, mint, vanilla, fudge, and chocolate.”

“I'll take banana. Small, cream on top.”

He scrawled onto a plastic cup. “Robin, the usual?”

“Actually, I'm feeling a little daring. Chocolate frap with mint syrup, please.”

“Excellent choice. Coming right up”

Lissa surveyed her surroundings, turning her nose up and some of the more ragged chairs and the barstools with two and a half legs at best. She headed for Robin's usual corner seat and nestled into the cushioned armchair. She sunk so far into the padding that she was barely visible over the table. “Don't exactly cater for the vertically challenged, huh.”

Robin chuckled and sat opposite. She drummed her right nails against the table in a simple rhythm, one she used to calm her nerves when she had to give presentations or speak out in a case. Her other hand held her chin, tilting her sight towards the pretty, brunet barista she'd developed a fondness for. He clutched a bag of milk, struggling with its form, splashing himself with the occasional drop as he poured each cup out. The half-empty bag sagged towards his chest, dousing his front with milk. Frustratedly, he untied his apron and tossed the bag away.

“Hey, mister,” Lissa called, “you've still got some milk on your sweater.”

Stahl let loose a groan. “Thanks.” He reached up to pull his turtleneck off, leaving a strip of skin exposed. Robin sat up straighter, cleared her throat, pretended not to look. His shirt rode up as he pulled, leaving a generous amount of his stomach and hips on show. She glanced over at the freckle-spattered expanse of warm skin – and felt herself go entirely red. She could see Lissa's face scrunch.

Stahl disappeared through the back door, and Lissa launched herself across the table. “That's him?” She asked. “That big guy who served us - he's this _Stahl_ you've been all starry-eyed over?”

Robin hid her blush in her hands and nodded. “Lissa, you have to help me, he's so gorgeous...”

“He... Well, I suppose he's cute, in a boy-next-door kind of way. But don't you think he's a little... I dunno, chubby?” She burrowed further into her hands as Lissa spoke. “He's not really your usual type, unless... Oh my gods. Are you... into it?”

“What?”

“It's fine if you are, we all have our preferences, but- oh my _gods_ , my best friend is a chubby chaser!”

“It's not like that, I swear! I'm not fetishising anything! I just, I don't know.” Robin shrugged helplessly. “I think he suits it. He's got such a soft personality, I feel like it makes sense for him to be, you know. _Bigger_.”

Lissa's face contorted with disbelief. “Well, alright, if that's what floats your boat. I don't get you, Robin. You could be aiming for the A-list with a brain like yours, but you're mooning over some plain old barista who goes to med school.”

“You guys talking about Stahl?”

Robin yelped like a cat who'd had its paws stepped on. “Gods, Gaius, when were you planning on telling me you were there?”

“Immediately. But then I heard you gossiping about your love life and I thought I'd eavesdrop instead.” He sauntered to the coffee presses and resumed their drinks. “What was it you ordered? Banana, and chocolate with mint... Not having coffee, Robin? Never thought I'd see the day.”

“Hey, mister..?”

“Gaius. And you are?”

“Hm? Oh, Lissa. But hey, where did Stahl go?”

“I think 'round back for some air. Something about getting his shirt caught? Anyway, he got a little flustered and flew outside. Asked me to take over serving you ladies,” he explained, and hooked the cap of the cream between his teeth, “which is exactly what I intend to do.” He picked up a tray and delivered the drinks, safely assuming the sweeter drink belonged to the younger of the two ladies. “So,” he started, squeezing himself into the seat beside Robin, “tell me more about your secret crush on my coworker.”

“No. No way. If you can eavesdrop, so can he, so go get back in the kitchen and make yourself useful.”

“Oh, come on! At least let me give you my number, so I can badger you about it virtually.”

“No.”

“If you don't, I'll tell him.”

“Don't you dare!”

“Three...”

“No.”

“Two...”

“No!”

“One...” He turned around. “Hey, Stahl!”

“Fine! Just write it on a napkin or something!” Robin rallied a string of colourful curses to shoot at Gaius. “You know I'm just going to put this in the trash, right?”

“We both know I'll tell Stahl if you do.”

“Tell me what?” He asked, reemerging from the back. Robin swore into her fist. “Seriously, what's going on?”

“We were just talking about how Robin here wanted to get your number, of course!” Lissa piped – and didn't even wince when a swift heel hit her shin.

“A-as friends, of course. Friend numbers. Because we're – 'cause we're friends!”

“Smooth,” Gaius mumbled. He didn't seem to be deterred by kicking, either.

Stahl just blinked, looking between Lissa's crafty beam, Gaius' smug smirk, and Robin's beet red cheeks. An unsure smile broke across his cheeks. “O-of course! You don't have to be so shy about it, you know. We're friends, aren't we?” He scribbled a ten-digit code in his order book and tore out the page, pushing it onto the table. Robin very quickly took out her phone and tapped it in her contacts – 'Stahl ☕️' seemed like a good enough name – and then his redheaded counterpart as Gaius'. She looked up to see Stahl's eyes tracing her hands, watching her every movement. He caught her eye, and they both blushed, unable to look away. Robin felt her heart beat double time in her chest as she began to drown in his olive-green eyes, soft and wide, with thick lashes, hitting the light at an exact angle that made them look like marbles. Gaius cleared his throat, and she hit Earth with a thud.

“I just remembered, I've got this thing- in the back. Stocking. I'll just, uh. Enjoy your drinks,” he stuttered, and turned on his heel. The door flapped shut behind him, and Lissa let out a roar of laughter.

“Oh my Gods, Robin, that was horrendous! Did you hear yourself? 'Friend numbers'!” She mimicked, snorting, thumping the table with her fist, sending drops of frappuccino flying.

“Egads, you really do have it bad. I don't think I've heard poorer courtship in my life.”

She folded her arms, scowling. “Alright, guys, laugh it up. I don't see either of you getting a number off someone cute, so as bad as I may be doing, it's still better than you.”

“You're right. I''l have to fix that” Gaius mused, then plucked a page from his notebook, scribbled, and tucked it in Lissa's pocket.

“Whaaaaa? Me?!”

“Something about your choice of drink, I believe. No pressure to call, I'm just giving it to you. You know,” he winked, “friend numbers.”

Robin groaned and threw her head back. She wasn't going to hear the end of this.

 


	3. Process and Proceed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The arrival of Chrom's new son offers a chance to catch up, and a moment to mull.

Getting Stahl's number was probably the best thing to happen to Robin since graduating law school – something that was pretty far up her list, and not without good reason. When she wasn't drowning in her partner's offloaded paperwork, she was lying on her belly and kicking her legs up behind her, phone in hand, like some sort of lovesick schoolgirl, which was admittedly what she felt like sometimes.

Her sharp mind came in extra handy when memorising all the new things she was learning about her personal coffee shop casanova. His full name was Stahl Otto Trumbauer, which was as just Germanic as it sounded. Green was his all-time favourite colour, and he wore it on any occasion if the dress code permitted, he used smiley faces excessively – and they always had noses – loved to bake, even if he was no good, and his desire to be a doctor came from a love of helping people, coupled with his father's apparently genetic love of biology.

By far the most apparent thing from all his messages was the true good nature and kindness that he poured into every word. Every time he texted, Robin felt the smile on his face, heard the patience in his voice. His presence, even virtual, made her heart soar far beyond cloud nine, and every day she tumbled deeper and deeper into a pit of adoration for this supposedly average heartthrob.

Chrom announced the birth of his son about three weeks after the texts started rolling in. Olivia had named him Inigo, and though she wasn't really a fan of kids, Robin was dying to meet their new son. As soon as his mother was well enough for visitors, she turned up at Chrom's house armed to the teeth with gifts for both parents and their two children.

Chrom opened the door and stared blankly. He blinked, eyes circled with shadows, and stood silent for a minute before cracking a smile and squeezing her in a tight, familiar embrace, letting out a long sigh, like he'd just let go all his tension and worry. “It's good to see you,” he said. She smiled into his shoulder and hummed reciprocation.

“Chrom, darling, who's that at the door?” A woman appeared in the door behind them, a huge mess of pink bedhead and baggy pyjamas. Robin darted to her arms and hugged her softly.

“Olivia,” she greeted, “it's been so long.”

“Please, forgive me for being so messy. Motherhood is harder work than anyone tells you.” She let go, and welcomed her inside.

Robin slipped off her shoes and lay her bag against the couch as she sat, opening her arms for the blue-haired toddler crawling around at her feet. Lucina crawled enthusiastically into her lap, latching onto her pigtails and shaking them.

“Aunt Robbie!” She grinned, tugging her hair.

“That's right!” Chrom called, locking the door as Olivia bustled to the crib in the corner. “Hey, Luci, who's that?” He pointed at the swaddle in his wife's arms, a gently babbling newborn with tufts of navy at his temples, eyes scrunched up and nose wiggling.

Lucina turned to look. “Igor!” she cried triumphantly, “baby brother! Igor!”

“N-no, Luci, Inigo. In-ee-go.”

“Igor!”

“Ah, I give up,” Chrom sighed, “teaching kids to talk is impossible. It's all just noise to her.”

Robin smiled, hoisting the girl further up her waist so she could fiddle with her necklace. “Ah, I don't know. Maybe she's smarter than you think.”

“She just- she keeps saying _Igor_.”

“Perhaps she's actually capable of reading sophisticated literature, and she's already decided to keep him as her assistant. She's going to get her little brother to follow her every command.”

“Hm. Wish I could get Lissa to do that. I'd have a much easier time if someone else was doing my paperwork for me. Hey, speaking of which, how have you been getting on?”

“I'm working through a few cases, still, but I think we can win the Plegia case if we work hard enough. Valm's a losing battle, though. Too much evidence against the defendant.” She straightened up as Lucina got bored and fled from her lap to climb her parents' legs and examine her bundle of a brother. “I tried out that coffee shop down the street, by the way. It's quaint. They do nice mochas.”

“Oh, you mean Shepherd's Roost? The place with the redhead who's sweet on Lissa? She told me about that last week.”

Robin narrowed her eyes. “Just how much did she tell you?”

Chrom shrugged. “Oh, not a lot. Just that you'd been there together, that you were friends with the baristas and one of them – Gaius, I think his name was – had given her his number. Oh, and-” he turned to smile devilishly at Robin, the very same smile Lissa wore when she was up to something, “she told me _all_ about your infatuation with Stahl.”

Her heart plummeted in her chest, and she groaned loudly. Of course Lissa had to go and tell her brother – Robin's _boss_ – about her weak-at-the-knees crush. She really wasn't allowed to let this go. She sank further into the couch and wailed like a manatee. “I can't believe she told you...”

“Hey, it's okay! Nobody's judging you!”

“Really, Robin, please don't be embarrassed,” Olivia cooed, “Stahl is a lovely boy.”

She shuffled upright. “You know him?”

Shielding Inigo from her daughter's barrage of curious pokes and prods, she offered a nod. “We went to the same college. He was my friend's roommate, so he came to parties sometimes. Such a sweet boy, but terrible self-esteem.”

Chrom huffed. “So everybody knows about this Stahl fellow except for me, huh? Well, go on! Who is he?”

Robin hid a warm smile and began to reel off everything she knew. She went through so many features that she ran out of fingers to count on. She told Chrom everything she liked, everything they'd talked about, all the times she'd been caught staring. She watched her co-worker's smile grow every second she kept talking until he turned to Olivia with a huge grin. “What? What is it?”

Chrom shook his head. “Nothing. I just haven't seen you look so happy in an age. This Stahl must really be something, huh?” He folded his arms and leaned back, confidently smug. “Are you gonna ask him out?”

“What? No. No, no, no. No way. Nope. Not happening.”

“Oh, come on, Robin! He's giving you signs! He totally likes you!”

Robin rolled her eyes. “Okay, first of all, you _have_ to stop squealing like that before you wake up your son. Second of all, you wouldn't know a 'sign' if it came up and bit you in the balls. Third and finally, what makes you think I'm going to listen to you?”

“I'm your boss-”

“And my friend, and as a friend, I'm gonna ask you to shut u-” Robin immediately went silent as Inigo started kicking and screaming, clawing at his blankets. “Oh my Gods, Olivia, I'm so sorry.”

“Oh, don't worry, it's fine! He's probably hungry. Chrom, can you take Lucina to the kitchen and put on some pasta?” Chrom nodded and scooped up his startled daughter, ruffling her hair. “Do you mind if I..?”

“No, of course not.”

Olivia noticeably relaxed, pulling her shirt off one shoulder and letting Inigo latch onto her. He babbled into her breast, resisting a little, before settling down and feeding quietly, chubby wrists occasionally reaching out to prod. His mother hummed, leaning against the couch, letting her head roll back. The two of them were so beautifully serene that Robin almost fell asleep in their presence alone. She felt like she was in her own mother's arms, despite having no recollection of who she was or how she held her. Looking at a woman nursing her son filled her with a bittersweet calm.

“Is it difficult?” Olivia lifted her head. “Feeding, I mean. Does it hurt?”

“Oh, no, not at all. It's a little strange at first, but once you get used to it, it's sort of soothing. Like I know my son's right here, and he's not going anywhere. It makes me feel stronger in myself. There's less time to be shy and modest when you've got a baby to look after.” Inigo cooed a little, and she moved to support his head. “Besides, there are much worse things than feeding to go through for your child.”

“I could never do childbirth. Too chaotic and messy. And I have a low pain threshold, to top it off. I think I'd cry.”

“I thought the same thing, you know. How much control you hand over to the nurses, how much pain you're in. It was all so daunting. But when I had Lucina... You forget it all the moment you hold your child for the first time. You look at them, and you think ' _wow_. I _made_ that'. All the hard work is suddenly so worth it.” She smiled demurely. “You'd be a good mother, Robin, if you chose to be.”

She blushed, crossing her thumbs. “You really think so?”

“I do. Whether it's with Stahl or somebody totally different. They'd grow up smart, and kind, and loved.”

“Wow,” Robin whispered, “wow. Thank you, Olivia, that- that means a lot to me.”

“You're welcome,” she hummed, “and for the record, I think Chrom's right. I think you should go for it. Even if Stahl doesn't feel the same way, he's the gentlest soul you'll ever meet; he won't judge you for a moment.”

“I know. I guess I'm just scared that he won't like me, because... I've never felt this way about anybody before. But thank you. I'll think about it.”

Chrom appeared from the kitchen, Lucina chattering in the background. “I've put the water on. Robin, will you be staying for dinner, or..?”

“Oh, no, I think I better get home before Morgan starts scratching the bedposts. Oh, before I forget.” She unzipped her bag and lay out a group of mismatched presents on the coffee table. “They're nothing special, but I wanted to get something to celebrate your new bundle of blue-haired joy. The one with the butterflies on is for Luci, so she doesn't get jealous.”

Olivia marvelled at the stack of gifts. “Thank you so much, Robin! You really didn't need to.”

“I know. That's why I did.” She stood and stretched, slinging her bag over her shoulder and bending to tickle Inigo's cheek. She gave Olivia a gentle hug goodbye, and called out to Lucina in the kitchen, who made little attempt to notice over her Hot Wheels.

“Well, Robin, I'll see you back at work in a few days time. Try not to make too much mess in my office.”

“You could've told me that _before_ I organised a house party,” she teased, and punched him gently in the shoulder. “Thanks for having me over. You listen to Olivia, okay? Mama knows best.”

“I don't think that applies to her hus-”

“It applies to whoever she wants it to, Chrom. She carried your baby only for it to be born with your hair. Again.”

Chrom chuckled. “Goodbye, Robin.”

“Be good. Stay safe,” she grinned, and waved Inigo a little goodbye before shutting the door behind her.

She walked to the end of the road, smiling broadly, gazing into the distance. Maybe Olivia was right. Maybe she should just go for it. It wasn't like she had anything to lose, right? Besides, she needed to get one up on Lissa for spilling the beans to Chrom. If she didn't tell her, she'd be so mad. It was perfect. Two birds with one particularly gutsy stone.

 

_To: Stahl ☕️_

_17:47_

_Hey! Do you want to grab dinner some time?_

 


End file.
